Kindermusik International

Celebrating Independence in Young Children

Kindermusik Class - Child with Glockenspiel

As July 4th approaches, and Americans prepare to celebrate the red, white, and blue, those of us at Kindermusik are pondering independence—our country’s, certainly, but also our children’s independence. (We can’t really help it; we’re all about die kinder.) Most parents would agree that independence is vitally important to cultivate in children. After all, isn’t the goal of parenting to produce a fully realized human—someone who can function and thrive independently in the world?

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How Shared Music-Making Nurtures Emotional Intelligence

Two 1-year-old boys pass instruments to each other during a Kindermusik class; early cooperative play like this supports emotional intelligence.

What is emotional intelligence?

Since the early 90s, early educators have been keenly interested in “emotional intelligence” (the awareness of our emotions, how to manage them, and use them) and its connection to wellness and success. What we know now is that a child’s brain is primed for nurturing emotional intelligence, and there are scientifically proven reasons why shared music-making is the best nurturing tool out there.

Fathers Are Important Every Day; Not Just On Father’s Day!

There are two dates on our calendar that celebrate parents, but one seems to get far more attention than the other. While Mother’s Day arrives with flowers, fanfare, and marketing campaigns galore, Father’s Day seems to get short shrift.

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NHSA Preview: Using Music Rituals to Create Calm

Kindermusik is thrilled to be presenting at the 45th Annual National Head Start Association (NHSA) Conference and Expo in Anaheim, California, from April 23-27, 2018. We’ll be sharing our expertise on all things music and movement in four fantastic sessions. We hope to see you there, but if you can’t make it, here’s a sneak peek at some of what we’ll be talking (and singing!) about: Continue reading “NHSA Preview: Using Music Rituals to Create Calm”

More Recess, Even More Focus

Things are happening at Eagle Mountain Elementary School in Forthworth, Texas. They are happening on the playground and in the classrooms, and believe it or not, they are connected. Recently, the school tripled the amount of recess time the students received and the results have been amazing. We have talked about the importance of play on this blog in the past. It looks like Eagle Mountain has discovered play’s importance in practice.

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How Group Singing Makes Us Healthier

Pre-school-aged children participate in group singing during circle time.

From singing in the car with family or friends to singing with complete strangers at a concert, group singing makes us feel good. It makes us want to do it again. But why?

It turns out, there’s science behind it, and the health benefits extend beyond feelings of happiness.

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5 Big Benefits: The Social Learning Domain and Kindermusik

The textbook definition of social-emotional development “…includes the child’s experience, expression, and management of emotions and the ability to establish positive and rewarding relationships with others (Cohen and others 2005). At its heart, social development for children is about connections and understanding and expressing emotions.

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Building Your Child’s Creativity and Emotional Health Through Music

Angela England, a mommy of five from Oklahoma, shares her thoughts on how music can help build your child’s creativity and emotional health. She writes for Mom Blog Society.

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Music and Crafts to Celebrate Spring

For a child, celebrating the little moments today become the most treasured memories of tomorrow. In many parts of the world, spring is just around the corner, and we have a few musical and artsy-crafty ways to help you celebrate the change of season even as you enjoy some precious child celebrating time with that sweet little someone who lights up your world all through the year!

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Book Review: Maisy Goes to the Local Bookstore

For this installment of our book review, we take a peek at the intrepid mouse, Maisy. Fans of Maisy will delight in her newest adventure at the local bookstore, which is very different from her experience at the library, by the way. With bright colorful illustrations, this sweet little board book is perfectly sized and adorably written for its youngest fans between the ages of 2 – 5 years. Continue reading “Book Review: Maisy Goes to the Local Bookstore“